One common method for printing images on a receiver member is referred to as electrography. In this method, an electrostatic image is formed on a dielectric member by uniformly charging the dielectric member and then discharging selected areas of the uniform charge to yield an image-wise electrostatic charge pattern. Such discharge is typically accomplished by exposing the uniformly charged dielectric member to actinic radiation provided by selectively activating particular light sources in an LED array or a laser device directed at the dielectric member. After the image-wise charge pattern is formed, the pigmented (or in some instances, non-pigmented) marking particles are given a charge, substantially opposite the charge pattern on the dielectric member and brought into the vicinity of the dielectric member so as to be attracted to the image-wise charge pattern to develop such pattern into a visible image.
Thereafter, a suitable receiver member (e.g., a cut sheet of plain bond paper) is brought into juxtaposition with the marking particle developed image-wise charge pattern on the dielectric member. A suitable electric field is applied to transfer the marking particles to the receiver member in the image-wise pattern to form the desired print image on the receiver member. The receiver member is then removed from its operative association with the dielectric member and the marking particle print image is permanently fixed to the receiver member typically using heat, and/or pressure and heat. Multiple layers or marking materials can be overlaid on one receiver, for example, layers of different color particles can be overlaid on one receiver member to form a multi-color print image on the receiver member after fixing.
In the earlier days of electrographic printing it was desirable to minimize channel formation during fusing. Under most circumstances, channels are considered an objectionable artifact in the print image. In order to improve image quality, and still produce channels a new method of printing has been formulated in U.S. Publication 2009/0142100. In that invention one or more multi-channeled layers are formed using electrographic techniques. The use of layered printing, including possible raised images to create channels capable of allowing movement of a fluid, such as an ink or dielectric, to provide a printed article with, among other advantages, a variety of security features on a digitally printed document.
Optical waveguides are devices which channel and constrain light to stay on designated paths. This is accomplished by using the critical angle phenomena for light traveling in a higher refractive index material. In this case, when light hits an interface at an angle above the critical angle it will be internally reflected away from the interface. If the high refractive material is located in a linear channel and light has been injected into the channel approximately parallel to the channel, the light will hit the walls only at high angles and therefore stay in the channels.
A typical example of this is the optical fiber used for communication and the entertaining light trees. Another example is the fiber optic face plate. The face plate is the equivalent of many short fiber waveguides placed next to each other. The light that enters a point on the faceplate is constrained to exit the same spot on the opposite side of the faceplate. This effectively lifts the image the distance of the thickness of the fiber faceplate.
There is a need to guide light to different locations on a plate or substrate and have those be customizable from one plate to another, custom waveguides). The analog is printed circuit boards which route electron to different devices but the routing changes when the design and devices change. It is therefore desirable for a digitally designed optical waveguides which are readily manufacturable in a simple manner. This invention solves this problem.